Abstract

The water buffalo is a native species in Asia, and is considered to be a work animal. But because of an inherent defect, it has a low reproductive efficiency. This study presents research on the proteome of the water buffalo testis, a better understanding of which is very important for reproduction. 1-D SDS-PAGE and Reverse Phase Liquid chromatography mass spectrum (RPLC-MS/MS) were utilized, and 1383 proteins in water buffalo testis were identified. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that 26 proteins take part in testis-specific processes which could be crucial for testis functions. Some of these proteins take part in oxidative phosphorylation, which is a significant enrichment pathway for producing energy for the cell reproduction, division and androgen generation. There are some antioxidant proteins identified which can provide protection against the action of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This broad view of the proteins in water buffalo testis will provide a reference for future research on improving the water buffalo’s reproductive efficiency.

Keywords: Protein, testis, water buffalo.

Graphical Abstract